A funny thing happened the night that Rhett left Scarlett. She grew up. She didn't change, and she didn't feel like her heart grew. But there was a clarity in her thoughts; a surprising sense of calm, where she thought there would be anxiety. She did not know if she could get Rhett back. Or if she truly wanted him back. But she wanted him to be happy, which is something she never even really wished for Ashley. If she had ever opened her eyes, she would have seen Ashley could only be happy with Melanie. She thought of writing him a letter, but then decided against it. All she could do was follow a suddenly defined path that appeared in her mind. All the loss seemed to have broken her. But it was as if a curtain flew open and unveiled everything she was to do. Everythingn she was to be.

She still cried. Melanie's death and Bonnie's death were still so raw. And a part of her could not truly reconcile the lost. She had to live as if they were watching her. She had to live in honor of them. She could never be as perfectly good as Melanie, but one of the thoughts that came to her in the night was that all these years, maybe she wasn't as bad as everyone thought she was. She knew that she was still young enough to do good in the world. And she had the bonus of a lot of money on her side. And enough money brought enough influence. All of Atlanta expected her to chase Ashley with Rhett gone and Melanie dead. But she knew she would once again surprise everybody. But she would have to nip the Ashley situation in the bud as soon as possible. She would take care of Beaux. Take care of Ashley. And from afar, try and take care of Rhett. In the end, she knew that Rhett left her because he couldn't bear to live in the house that Bonnie had lived in. Or at least that was a big part of it. If Bonnie were alive, she could have fixed it. But now, Rhett was a broken man. And so was Ashley. And she would once again, have to make things right. One thing that amused Scarlett, even then, was that as bad as everyone thought she was and had always been… she was still going to be the one to fix everything.

She couldn't bear to cry anymore at the foot of the stairs. She had to gather herself. For the first time in a crisis, she remembered her two children. Not just as a burden or an afterthought. But she realized that Melanie wasn't there anymore to walk people through a crisis. She was always the one who knew what to say to comfort them. Especially when Bonnie died. But now it fell on her to be the strength. She felt like running after Rhett and saying "Please, stay for them. They are not as strong as I am." For the first time, she didn't see them as weak or as nuisances. They weren't as charming and beautiful as Bonnie had been. But Scarlett had learned the hard way not to take anyone for granted, and she felt a tug at her heart when she thought of her children. They were hers after all. She had always seen them as reflections of how her life had gone wrong; how they were mistakes she had made. How they weren't Ashley's children. And for the first time, she crafted her words ahead of time, not in order to manipulate, but to protect. Her maternal side, it seemed, had come to life only after Bonnie's death. And if Rhett was to ever return, she didn't know… but her children were hers. Her mother's grandchildren. They had strong blood in them and the fighter in her was determined to make this day less horrible.

She entered Wade's room first. It was early morning, and it must have been hours since Rhett had left. Wade and Ella had arrived home with Prissy while she was at Melanie's. It had been so long since she had entered his room that his belongings weren't even familiar to her. He was eleven years old, but there was a maturity about him that Scarlett had never cared to notice. She thought to herself that the boy must expect death and sadness all the time. And then it saddened her that it had never occurred to her before. Wade looked surprised to see her, as if she was the last person he had ever expected. That challenged a small part of her. Rhett's words still cut like a life… "a cat's a better mother than you… your children are afraid of you…"

Wade was usually wide awake at this time, but the traveling might have exhausted him a little bit. But he definitely looked like he was expecting news about Aunt Melanie. He looked a lot like Charles, but she could swear now that he was stronger. Maybe he took after Melanie. Maybe he had seen so much as a young boy that he had no choice but to be a little strong. But he had that southern softness about him. He looked at her, as if expecting something terrible, and she hated to prove him right. She walked softly next to him, appreciating the closeness for the first time.

"Wade… Aunt Mellie passed away tonight. I was with her."

She hugged him so hard that it startled him. He didn't know what to do. He just sat there like a rag doll. She was crying again, as the words and the tragedies all seemed to come into her head at once. Wade would never know that she had harbored jealousy and even hatred for Melanie. He only knew that another bright light in his life was gone forever. She had to ease his mind a little.

"It's alright to cry darling. I won't tell anyone."

Wade tried to let out a sob, but instead he spoke.

"How…"

"She was going to have a baby and there were complications. Like I had. But her body just couldn't take it. She was with her loved ones. I was going to come and get you, but she… it happened so quickly. I didn't really believe she could die I guess…."

Wade looked at her with a bit of confusion. His mother had never talked to him like this, and he would remember it for the rest of his life. Scarlett read his mind a little, as she was finally able to leave her own thoughts and feelings and think of what someone else might be thinking. And be correct.

"Aunt Mellie was my best friend, Wade. And we are all going to be strong because that's what she would have wanted. You know, she mentioned you…"

"What did she say?"

"She said she loved you and you were the sweetest, most darling boy. And that you could look after Beau, because after all, he is younger than you and looks up to you. Don't forget, he's going to be very sad for a long time. I was much older than he was when I lost my mother, and I still think of her every day…"

"I remember."

"Yes, you do, don't you? I forget how much you have to remember… I wish I could erase some of those memories…"

Wade tried not to look surprised, but in all his life, he had never been so perplexed. And yet, without knowing it, he had craved his mother's attention for so long. And now, it seemed so natural. Like she had been there all along. But since Scarlett was so young when she had Wade, she almost looked like an older sister to him, especially the way she sat there with him, rattling off compassionate statements like it wasn't unusual.

"I forget sometimes that you never knew your father…"

"What was he like?"

"You never asked me that before… He was handsome and kind. And he wanted very badly to fight in the war. All the boys did. And I hated it because I thought talk of the war was ruining all the parties."

She had hoped the last part would make him smile, and it did. A soft, timid smile. He would never know that she didn't love Charles at all. She thought of how she found out that her mother never really loved her father. She wondered how many children think their parents were some great love story. Only in Beaux' case, was that the truth. No, she thought. He should think his parents were great young lovers.

"I wasn't much older than you when we got married. A lot of people rushed into marriage when the war started. I have so many stories to tell you about the war. About your Aunt Melanie. And I know… Wade, I know that I haven't been the greatest mother to you and Ella. I know that I was always preoccupied with other things. But it's just… because of the war, I always worried about being taken care of. And I wanted you to have the best."

Wade almost took offense at this.

"Aunt Mellie used to tell us about how you and Uncle Rhett saved her life and my life in Atlanta. And if anyone ever says anything to you…"

Scarlett smiled and she wasn't really in the mood for smiling. She saw a sliver of Irish temper in the child, and pride that her son was so eager to defend her. So blind to her faults… just like Mellie. A small part of her felt guilt, but then she felt happy that her child could actually come to her defense. Maybe he was easy to charm as his father was.

"Oh don't worry about that. Tomorrow, the three of us are going to move back to Tara."

Wade looked at her thoughtfully, sensing that maybe she needed his comfort more than he needed hers.

"Where's Uncle Rhett?"

"Oh… Wade. Rhett has gone away on a long trip. He might come to Aunt Mellie's wake, but I'm not sure."

Wade looked hurt.

"It's alright to be angry with him, dear. But… he hasn't been right since Bonnie died…"

"But we're all sad. We all miss Bonnie! She was my sister!"

"Yes, but… I will only tell you what Aunt Mellie would have said because she was always wiser than me… she would probably say that we mustn't judge him or his pain. He didn't have other children like I did. And it was especially hard because it happened in front of him. He probably thinks he could have saved her, or that it was his fault she had been riding… but none of that's really true. It was just a terrible accident."

"Will he come back?"

"He might. But sometimes, people can't handle losing someone. My father never recovered from my mother dying. As much as he loved his daughters, sometimes even a strong man, a man as strong as Rhett or my father… sometimes they just need… sometimes they just need a lot of time."

It was odd how she was talking. As if Wade was old enough to comprehend all she was saying. But he seemed to become more relaxed as she told him little tidbits of her past.

"Until Uncle Rhett comes back, you are going to be the man of the house at Tara," she said almost playfully.

"No, I'm not old enough."

"True, but you're strong enough. And there's nothing I can't help you with. I think maybe this house is too sad now after Bonnie. And I will need a lot of help. I want us moved in by Christmas."

Wade took this statement very seriously. He had never had much encouragement from his mother.

"If Uncle Rhett doesn't come back, I don't think I will ever forgive him."

Scarlett looked intently at her son, understanding again the value of family and loyalty, and almost gleaming with pride.

"You do what feels right. For now, it'll be the three of us. I won't tell Ella until tomorrow."

Scarlett sat up and began walking towards the door. She wasn't sure of anything she had said, but only sure that Wade needed to hear them. Then something occurred to her.

"Wade, when you were a little boy I hit you. The night we left Atlanta. You know that's never going to happen again, right?"

"Of course not, Mother."

"Well, still… I was scared myself. But I'm not afraid of anything anymore, and you don't have to be either. Whatever happens, we have each other. I love you Wade. Remember that always."

Wade suddenly felt stronger. Like someone had given him a medal of honor. His mother stood at the door, once again, lost in her thoughts.

"Wade… can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure."

"Your mother doesn't like to lose. And you should know that I've never turned away from a fight. And Uncle Rhett…. He'll come back to Tara. It might take awhile. But he'll regret leaving and he'll come back. You have to trust your mother. Even if you never trusted me before. I'll make everything right. And if by some chance, he doesn't come back to us, don't worry about that either. That will just mean that we're too good for him anyway."

Scarlett grinned and her son finally grinned back. She had been seeking that smile out during their whole conversation and she finally got it. And it was the brightest spot in a very dark day….

The next morning, she made her plans to go to Tara. She would stay at Aunt Pittypat's during the move. And she kept reciting what she would say to Rhett if he returned for Melanie's wake. She suspected he would because, as she had come to learn, Rhett was almost as soft and sentimental as Ashley. And after Melanie had convinced him to have a funeral for Bonnie, she knew he would pay her the respect of attending. There was only one other thing she wanted to do first, and it would cause quite the commotion in town. She hoped it would be her last scandalous act since her reformation. She made a stop at Belle Watling's.

She knew about the side entrance to Belle's house from Rhett. In their very unusual marriage, he had never spared her any details of his life. And so, in the early morning of Melanie Wilkes' wake, Scarlett pulled her carriage up to Belle's and knocked on the door. A young and homely girl answered the door with her mouth open. Scarlett looked at her as if she was any young girl, with no judgment or even surprise in her green eyes. She acted as if it was any house, and she had been looking for an old friend.

"Good morning. I wanted to know if you can help me. I have some business to discuss with Miss Belle Watling. I realize she may not be home, but I wanted to know if there would be a good time to talk to her. Tell her Mrs. Butler would like to meet with her. If she would like, she can pay a visit to my home. Whichever she prefers."

The young girl, Amy, seemed quite thrown at this request or what it could mean. She had seen angry wives before, but this woman had no anger in her eyes. She had never seen a woman so calm in such an awkward position. Of course she knew that she was Captain Butler's wife, and had heard terrible things about her. But she had the same commanding presence that Captain Butler had, and to see it in a woman was unnerving.

Amy went upstairs to find Belle. Scarlett waited in the foyer. The whole house was abuzz, but Scarlett's focus remained. She did wonder if Belle would talk to her. She wondered how much this stranger knew about her and her marriage. She ventured to guess it was a lot. And she was fairly certain that Belle did not like her. She wondered if Rhett paid her a visit before he left town. She also wondered how far away Rhett was, and if he would indeed surprise her by not going to the wake.

Belle finally came down the steps, cool as a cucumber, but curious as a cat, eyeing Scarlett up and down. Scarlett didn't glare though. But she wasn't foolish enough to smile. Rhett had always said they were both business women. And today, Rhett was the business she had wanted to discuss.

"Miss Watling, is there somewhere we can talk privately?"

Belle nodded and pointed to a room towards the left. Belle could be cool, but she couldn't read this situation. She thought maybe she was going to be scolded, and Scarlett's wrath was just under the surface. Maybe she had an idea that she could buy Belle out and save her marriage.

"What is it, Mrs. Butler?" Belle asked with a bit of condemnation in her voice.

"Would you like a drink?"

Scarlett realized that she was in Belle's home now, and Belle had a home advantage. That question revealed a lot, mostly that Rhett had probably mentioned her drinking to Belle.

"No thank you." She sat down and took her gloves off.

"I am sure you have heard, Miss Watling, of the passing of Mrs. Wilkes. She was my dearest friend. And Captain Butler's. You are a friend of Captain Butler's as well. He has left town, and I do not know if he will be returning for her services. You see, he has been…. We have been… it's been hard on us since the death of our daughter. Captain Butler hasn't been right since. I'm worried about him. And I don't know if he is ever coming back…"

Her honesty and candor were disarming. She was also correct. She had seen Rhett often since the death of his daughter and she did indeed think of him as a broken man.

"Of course, my worry is of little concern to him. I certainly do not want to send him a telegram over something if it's not an emergency… but I was wondering if you can hold onto a letter for him. And if he does come here, you can give it to him."

"Mrs. Butler. I am not in the business of handing husbands letters from their wives… And I don't know what kind of house you think I'm running here, but…"

"Mrs. Watling. I come here with no disrespect. I have had a very difficult few months. I am only asking a favor, which you can refuse if you see fit. Also, you are welcome to pay your respects at the Mrs. Wilkes' wake…"

With that, Belle laughed.

"You can laugh, but I assure you… on my word, no one is going to give you any trouble there. That crowd will do what I say. That includes all of the Wilkeses."

"Mrs. Butler. You really think a nice gesture and a letter will bring Rhett back?"

Scarlett squirmed inside at Belle's use of his name, Rhett…

"I have no God's honest idea what will bring Rhett back. If anything. Miss Watling… my only intention in the next few days is to see to it that Melanie Wilkes gets the most beautiful wake and funeral Georgia has ever seen. I learned quite a bit from her over the years. Quite a bit about kindness. And she was kind to you. And you should know that what people say and what people know are two very different things. And the truth is something else entirely."

And with that, she stood up calmly and put a sealed envelope on the table. For a moment, they were just two women. Two women who had loved the same man, and had little chance of getting him back.

And then she was gone, and Belle couldn't help but finally see, at least a little bit, what Rhett had seen in this woman, besides beauty. And she didn't open the letter. She kept it and hoped that when Rhett came into town, she could tell him firsthand about this experience. Maybe it would cheer him up. And of course, she never opened it. If she had, she would have seen that all it contained were these words…

Dearest Rhett,

We have some business to discuss further.

Love,

Scarlett